The Oppressed

This essay The Oppressed has a total of 1974 words and 10 pages.
The Oppressed

Dr. Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States might be
better titled A Proletarian’s History of the United States. In the first
three chapters Zinn looks at not only the history of the conquerors,
rulers, and leaders; but also the history of the enslaved, the
oppressed, and the led. Like any American History book covering the time
period of 1492 until the early 1760’s, A People’s History tells the
story of the “discovery” of America, early colonization by European
powers, the governing of these colonies, and the rising discontent of
the colonists towards their leaders. Zinn, however, stresses the role of
a number of groups and ideas that most books neglect or skim over: the
plight of the Native Americans that had their numbers reduced by up to
90% by European invasion, the equality of these peoples in many regards
to their European counterparts, the importation of slaves into America
and their unspeakable travel conditions and treatment, the callous
buildup of the agricultural economy around these slaves, the
discontented colonists whose plight was ignored by the ruling
bourgeoisie, and most importantly, the rising class and racial struggles
in America that Zinn correctly credits as being the root of many of the
problems that we as a nation have today. It is refreshing to see a book
that spends space based proportionately around the people that lived
this history. When Columbus arrived on the Island of Haiti, there were
39 men on board his ships compared to the 250,000 Indians on Haiti. If
the white race accounts for less than two hundredths of one percent of
the island’s population, it is only fair that the natives get more than
the two or three sentences that they get in most history books. Zinn
cites population figures, first person accounts, and his own
interpretation of their effects to create an accurate and fair depiction
of the first two and a half centuries of European life on the continent
of North America.
The core part of any history book is obviously history. In the first
three chapters of the book, Zinn presents the major historical facts of
the first 250 years of American history starting from when Christopher
Columbus’s Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria landed in the Bahamas on October
12, 1492. It was there that Europeans and Native Americans first came
into contact; the Arawak natives came out to greet the whites, and the
whites were only interested in finding the gold. From the Bahamas,
Columbus sailed to Cuba and Hispañola, the present-day home of Haiti and
the Dominican Republic. One-hundred fifteen years later and 1,500 miles
to the north, the colony of Jamestown was founded by a group of English
settlers led by John Smith; shortly after that the Massachusetts Bay
Colony was founded by a group of Puritans known to us today as the
Pilgrims. Because of uneasy and hostile relations with the nearby Pequot
Indians, the Pequot War soon started between the colonists and the
natives. Needless to say, the colonists won, but it was at the expense
of several dozen of their own and thousands of Pequots. But despite
Indian conflict, exposure, starvation, famine, disease, and other
hardships, the English kept coming to America. In 1619 they were settled
enough that they started bringing African slaves into the middle
colonies. Before resorting to Africans, the colonists had tried to
subdue the Indians, but that idea failed before it was created. Zinn
writes:
“They couldn’t force the Indians to work for them, as Columbus had
done. They were outnumbered, and while, with superior firearms, they
could massacre the Indians, they would face massacre in return. They
could not capture them and keep them enslaved; the Indians were tough,
resourceful, defiant, and at home in these woods, as the transplanted
Englishmen were not.
“White servants had not yet been brought over in sufficient
quantity.... As for free white settlers, many of them were skilled
craftsmen, or even men of leisure back in England, who were so little
inclined to work the land that John Smith... had to declare a kind of
martial law, organize them into work gangs, and force them into the
fields for survival.....
“Black slaves were the answer. And it was natural to consider imported
blacks as slaves, even if the institution of slavers would not be
regularized and legalized for several decades” (25).
Black slavery became an American institution that the southern and
middle colonies began to depend on for their economic success. The first
stirrings of resentment began to come not from the slaves but from the
proletariat in the form of the frontier whites. Nathaniel Bacon led a
revolution against

Read essay without registering

Donate an essay now and get the full essay emailed you. Upload File
Acceptable files: .txt, .doc, .docx, .rtfEmail Address

Topics Related to The Oppressed

Americas, Politics, Anarchism in the United States, Howard Zinn, Pequot people, Christopher Columbus, European colonization of the Americas, America: Imagine the World Without Her, Pequot War, American Revolution, Haiti, A Peoples History of the United States

Essays Related to The Oppressed

The Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment Cases The Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment Cases Throughout history, minorities have been ill-represented in the criminal justice system, particularly in cases where the possible outcome is death. In early America, blacks were lynched for the slightest violation of informal laws and many of these killings occurred without any type of due process. As the judicial system has matured, minorities have found better representation but it is not completely unbiased. In the past twenty yea

Voodoo Voodoo Fon is spoken by over half the people of Benin and it is the mother tongue of voodoo. In Fon the root word for voodoo is vodoun that means spirit or god. Voodoo had its origins over 350 years ago in West Africa. In fact Allada, a small town in Benin, is often called the 'cradle of voodoo'. In 1996, January 10th became National Voodoo Day in honor of its followers that make up 65% of Benin population. The religion Vodoun was a by-product of the slave trade. This Yoruban religion was carri

Inflation Inflation Over the last century many countries throughout the world have experienced inflation as their major economic problem. Expensive wars have traditionally been recognized as the sources of inflation. Governments, in effort to squeeze more production out of an economy, have often resorted to printing or releasing more money to finance the purchase of arms and soldiers1. In an economy already producing at full capacity, the issuing of additional money serves to bid up the prices of the out

The Battle Between the Spanish Armada and the British Fleet1588 The Battle Between the Spanish Armada and the British Fleet~1588~ In the later part of the 16th century, Spain was the major international power and either ruled, colonized, or exercised influence over much of the known world. Spanish power was at it's height and Spain's leader, King Philip II, pledged to conquer the Protestant heretics in England that began as a result of the Reformation. Philip held personal hostility towards England's Queen Elizabeth I and was desirous of eliminating a major

The Aztecs and the Incas The Aztecs and the Incas The Aztecs and the Incas are two of the most memorable ancient Indian tribesbecause of their accomplishments and the way that they flourished and became two of themost prominent tribes in the Americas. The Aztecs, also known as the Mexica, dominatedcentral and southern Mexico from the 14th to 16th centuries and are best known forhaving established an empire based on conquest, tribute paying and the religious sacrificeof humans and animals. The Quechian-speaking Incas es

A Cultural Approach A Cultural Approach The cultural and developmental aspects of American history in the 17th and 18th centuries are certainly among the most important and influential factors in the shaping of this country's long and storied history. Historiographically speaking, there are undoubtedly thousands upon thousands of different studies and opinions on the most influential cultural strides of early Americans well as the pros and cons that each colonial region developed in shaping America and readying it

Witchcraft Witchcraft In the modern world witchcraft is a form of nature religion that emphasizes the healing arts. The term is also applied to various kinds of magic practiced in Asian, African, and Latin American communities. Little is known about the history of witchcraft in Europe, and what is known comes from hostile sources. In traditional European society witchcraft was believed to be a kind of harmful sorcery associated with the worship of Satan, or the devil (a spirit hostile to God). The Europea

Americas involvement in World War Two America’s involvement in World War Two When war broke out , there was no way the world could possibly know the severity of this guerre. Fortunately one country saw and understood that Germany and its allies would have to be stopped. America’s Involvement in World War two not only contributed in the eventual downfall of the insane Adolph Hitler and his Third Reich, but also came at the precise time and moment. Had the united states entered the war any earlier the consequences might have been wor

Foreign PolicyForeign Policy With the world balancing on the edge of destruction, foreign relationships areextremely important to the United States of America. The United States is fullyrecognized as the most powerful nation on the planet earth, and with that power comes adefinitive sense of responsibility. The U.S. needs to pay close attention to thisresponsibility if it hopes to keep its place on the throne as king of the nations. This iswhere the United States foreign policy comes into play. Foreign policy

Dwight EisenhowerDwight Eisenhower If you listened in history class you probably have heard his name before. He was born in a small town called Deniso in western Texas in the year 1890 (Hargrove 22).Then he and his family moved to a railroad town called Abilene in the state of Kansas. Here Dwight Eisenhower grew up with his 13 other family members. (Hargrove 19). Dwight David Eisenhower is one of Americas greatest heroes with his military career to his two terms as President of the United States. Dwight Eisenhow

Atlantis We Will Never KnowAtlantis: We Will Never Know Fantasy is a tough sell in the twentieth century. The world has been fully discovered and fully mapped. Popular media has effectively minimized the legend and the fantastic rumor, though to make up for this it has generated falsities not as lavish but just as interesting. Satellites have mapped and studied the earth, leaving only a space frontier that is as yet unreachable. But standing out is a charming fantasy the modern world has yet to verify or condemn: the lost

The Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment CasesThe Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment Cases Throughout history, minorities have been ill-represented in the criminal justice system, particularly in cases where the possible outcome is death. In early America, blacks were lynched for the slightest violation of informal laws and many of these killings occured without any type of due process. As the judicial system has matured, minorities have found better representation but it is not completely unbiased. In the past twenty years

Disability in The WorkplaceDisability in The Workplace The Americans With Disabilities Act is one of the most significant laws in American History. The preamble to the law states that it covers 43,000,000 Americans.(Frierson, p.3) Before the Americans With Disabilities Act(A.D.A.) was passed, employers were able to deny employment to a disabled worker, simply because he or she was disabled. With no other reason other than the persons physical disability were they turned away or released from a job. The Americans With Di

The Influence and Views of Netanyahu On The Middle East Peace PlanThe Influence, and Views of Netanyahu On The Middle East Peace Plan The middle east has many problems trying to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The peace process started about four years ago with the Middle East countries. Through the process many people have had major influence on it. One person who might have one of the greatest influences of the peace agreement is Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu. The peace agreement is the biggest topic in the Middle East and he is

Policies on CubaPolicies on Cuba In Juan Rulfo's novel, Pedro Paramo, the reader follows a dusty road to a town of death, where the following is said ÓUp and down the hill we went, but always descending . We had left the hot wind behind and were sinking into pure, airless heat. The stillness seem to be waiting for someone. ÔIt's hot here Ô I said ÔYou might say, but this is nothing'. My companion relied. ÔTry to take it easy. You'll feel it even more when we get to Comala. That town sits on the coals of the Ear

How The Simpsons Affects KidsHow The Simpsons Affects Kids The Simpsons is one of Americas most popular television shows. It ranks as the number one television program for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, the ideals that The Simpsons conveys are not always wholesome, sometimes not even in good taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in 1977. At the time, Groening was working for the L.A. Reader, a free weekly newspaper. He began

Golding's Reality Golding's Reality Fiction or fact A recurring theme in William Golding's novel, Lord of the Flies , is that man savage at heart, always ultimately reverting back to evil and a primitive nature. Golding believes that man has no control over his own destiny because of fear. Golding uses properties of setting, characters, and their behavior and the events of the book, Lord of the Flies, to build and support his vision of reality. William Golding was born in Great Britain in 1911 and throughout his

The portrayal of women in the novels One Hundred Years of Solitude b The portrayal of women in the novels One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Marquez and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. The portrayal of women in the novels One Hundred years of Solitude and The House of the Spirits differs greatly. In One Hundred Years of Solitude empowerment comes only through age, for instance Ursula Iguaran, the matriarch of the Buendia family and to some extent Macondo, or through strength of sexuality, for instance Pilara Tenera the ‘sexual matriarch’ of

A Day at the Park A Day at the Park It was a day I was subconsciously waiting my whole life for, but I didn’t realize it until it was happening. The day was August 8, 1996, just 25 days before my son’s first birthday. The Texas Rangers, my favorite baseball team, were in town to play the K.C. Royals. I had always dreamed of one day, taking my son to his first Rangers game. A father taking his son to a baseball game is just the American thing to do, and there I was, taking my son out to the ball game; Americas

Throughout the history of America there have been several different an Throughout the history of America there have been several different answers to her call. Every different time period has had it's own call, from the days of Jefferson and the Constitution, to the days of Kennedy and the Vietnam conflict. What is this generation's call? With the Cold War dead and behind us, America is calling from a different line. No longer is America in need of a sophisticated high budget military, but for new minds and ideas. Long gone are the days of fighting in the streets

Baby Boomers are Jealous Baby Boomers are Jealous Stephen M. 10/30/96 Professor Shockley Generation X’ers have been described as fanatically independent individuals pathologically ambivalent about the future, and brimming with unsatisfied longings for permanence, for love, and for material possessions. (Lauren, p.64) This less-than-flattering description of our generation has since been expanded by the media to the point that myself and my peers are described as a bunch of apathetic slackers unconcerned with family v

In 1992 the dropout rate in Americas colleges was almost twenty-four p In 1992, the dropout rate in America’s colleges was almost twenty-four percent! Therefore meaning that nearly one out of every five students that head off to college in the fall, drop out by the first semester. In addition, about one out of every three remaining students do not return for their second year. This statistic may seem outrageous, however, it is true. Furthermore, a study has shown that if the dropout rate continues at its current pace, it will reach thirty percent by the turn of th

William Golding the author of Lord of the Flies was born in Great Brit William Golding the author of Lord of the Flies was born in Great Britain in 1911 and throughout almost his entire lifetime, he has lived and witnessed the true evil within all men. During his childhood the first World War beginning in 1914, and was followed many years later by the savagery of World War II. He has seen powerful dictators rise and fall; he has witnessed entire nations crumble, the massive slaughter of the Holocaust come and go, weapons of death destroy entire cities, and he has

Koeneman 1 Koeneman 1 Adam J.E. Koeneman English 190-28 Professor Engles November 4, 1996 Prejudice Against Native Americans These people began migrating thirty thousand years before Christopher Colombus discovered the Americas. Native Americans migrated from Asia, crossing a land bridge where the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska is today. Over the centuries these people spread throughout the continents of North and South America. Since the arrival of the Europeans in 1492 the American Indian has b

Atlantis Atlantis Atlantis: We will ever know Fantasy is a tough sell in the twentieth century. The world has been fully discovered and fully mapped. Popular media has effectively minimized the legend and the fantastic rumor, though to make up for this it has generated falsities not as lavish but just as interesting. Satellites have mapped and studied the earth, leaving only a space frontier that is as yet unreachable. But standing out is a charming fantasy the modern world has yet to verify or condemn:

World Populations and Development World Populations and Development 1.) The Neolithic and Industrial Revolutions The two changes in the use of the earth's resources that had the greatest effect on the world population were the neolithic and the industrial revolutions. The neolithic revolution (a.k.a. agricultural revolution) was a change in the way of life of our ancestors. It took place about 8000 years ago among various tribes in Asia and the Middle East. It included a transition from foraging and hunting to the domestication

Invasion of Panama Invasion of Panama The U.S. invasion of Panama on December 20, 1989 was a mark of excellence on the behalf of the U.S. armed forces ability to effectively use the principles of war. The years leading up to the invasion set the climate for conflict; drug trafficking became a major problem between Panama and the U.S. in the 1980's, as well as Manuel Noriega's interference with the Panama canal employees rights under the Panama Canal Treaty; the final action that sparked the invasion was Noriega's

To many Americans today the country is a hostage-but not from oversea To many Americans today, the country is a hostage-but not from oversea terrorism as one might expect to think. No today, we live in fear from our own children; and these are the same young people who we are entrusting the future of this great country with. According to the Department of Justice report released in November, thirty-eight percent of those arrested for weapons offenses in 1995 were under the age of eighteen (Curriden 66). In the same report, the Bureau of Justice Statistics stated

1 Market Revolution A change in the way people bought made and sold go 1. Market Revolution: A change in the way people bought, made, and sold goods. 2. That George chopped down a cherry tree. 3. An entrepreneur is someone who takes on business risks for the sake of prophet. 4. Well, the women were paid about half the salary as men were for the same jobs. However, women lived in he factory, where men did not. They were looking for single women. 5. The employees simply maid money for them by working. They did not think of them as real people, just workers. 6. Delaw

The Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment Cases The Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment Cases Sam Houston State University, Huntsville CJ 478W-Introduction To Methods Of Research TTH 8:00-9:30 The Effects of Race on Sentencing in Capital Punishment Cases Throughout history, minorities have been ill-represented in the criminal justice system, particularly in cases where the possible outcome is death. In early America, blacks were lynched for the slightest violation of informal laws and many of these killings occured without an

Term African Slave TradeTerm African Slave Trade When you think of the African slave trade, do you realize that over 10 million people were removed from that continent in less than 500 years? Some scholars believe it may be as large a number as 20 million.1 I would like to pose a few questions and attempt to answer them in this collection of writings and opinions. The evidence and historical documents will show some of the economic and social impacts the Slave Trade had on the African continent. The first thing that ne

Dickinson Emily Elizabeth 1830-1886 Americas best-known female poet an Dickinson, Emily Elizabeth (1830-1886), America’s best-known female poet and one of the foremost authors in American literature. Dickinson’s simply constructed yet intensely felt, acutely intellectual writings take as their subject issues vital to humanity: the agonies and ecstasies of love, sexuality, the unfathomable nature of death, the horrors of war, God and religious belief, the importance of humor, and musings on the significance of literature, music, and art. Life Born in Amherst, Massa

PLATE TECTONICS PAPER PLATE TECTONICS PAPER In 1912 Alfred Wegener, a meteorologist, revived a theory that the continents of the eastern and western hemispheres were once joined. Wegener, along with his followers showed how the east coast of the Americas align with the westside of the Old World, a coincidence that Leonardo da Vinci commented upon. But no one could come up with a convincing way to push, shove, or drift whole continents for thousands of kilometers. It was thought that the deep granite continental mass

Slavery in the US Slavery in the U.S. In North America the first African slaves landed at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. Brought by early English privateers, they were subjected to limited servitude, a legalized status of Native American, white, and black servants preceding slavery in most, if not all, the English colonies in the New World. The number of slaves imported was small at first, and it did not seem necessary to define their legal status. Statutory recognition of slavery, however, occurred in Massachuse

Religions Spread Through Conquest Religions Spread Through Conquest When studying history, both in a professional and academic sense, we try to make connections between civilizations and time periods. Historians have attempted to discover universal constants of human nature, a bond that forms from continent to continent and human being to human being. Are there constant qualities that people posses and reflect in all civilizations? It is extremely difficult to make generalizations about centuries of modern history. To say that

I love this business exults Robert Kaynes Jr vice president of salesI love this business, exults Robert Kaynes Jr., vice president of sales (and grandson of the founder) at Bron Shoe, the Columbus, Ohio-based company responsible for putting millions of pairs of bronzed baby shoes on bookshelves in the homes of loving parents across America for the past 75 years. It may sound schmaltzy Kaynes concedes, but it's a schmaltzy business. We're selling sentiment. Still, how do you market a memory? For companies like Hallmark, FTD, Bron Shoe, and others in the se

European Herald TribuneI AbstractEuropean Herald TribuneI. Abstract T his project presents a concise detailed analysis of a prospective business plan for an innovative new newspaper known as the European Herald Tribune (EHT), which will be in affiliation with the widely read and respectable International Herald Tribune (IHT). The main goal of the EHT is to become “Europe’s Newspaper.” In order to achieve this thorough research has been conducted on the various aspects that may affect the establishment and the possible future su

American Values are Asserted and Expressed during the WarsAmerican Values are Asserted and Expressed during the Wars 5/28/2004 Microsoft Word 2002 Wars happen when people have opposite ideas and values. They test the strength and righteousness of peoples’ believes in their values and ideas. Wars help people and countries see the gaps and wrongs of their actions and moral principles on which these actions were acted upon, as well as assert further believe in the correctness of the principles and actions that had to be done to establish such believes. Th

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus also known in Italian as Cristoforo Colombo and in Spanish as Critobal Colon was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451 and died sometime in 1506. Considerably one of the greatest and most mentioned figure in American history. Why? One can simply say because his voyages mark the beginning of continuous European efforts to explore and colonize the “Americas”. Although most of Columbus’ life to this day is unknown historians do know one that is for sure; his voyage

Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus 8/31/03 A.P. US Pd. 2 At one point in history, centuries ago, the Americas were disconnected from cultured Europe. They were inhabited, yes, but their histories lost without a written language—their “civilizations” unable to make certain crucial steps forward. One man, Christopher Columbus, set out from Spain for Asia in 1492 and instead, ran into the Americas. The door between worlds opened, bringing positive and negative changes that were beyond the grasp of that one man.

Hernando Cortes Conquered the AztecsHernando Cortes Conquered the Aztecs! Tenochtitlan- Hernando Cortes, a Spanish Conquistador, ventured into Tenochtitlan, the capital of Aztec empire, searching for gold, god, and glory. He set out to conquer the empire and to capture the Aztecs in order to achieve such things. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, Hernando and the Spaniards had guns, cannons, and other helpful weapons. But the Aztecs had Indian allies that helped them fight. The Aztecs believed that Hernando Cortes was Quetzalcoatl, a g

Latin American Colonial SocietyLatin American Colonial Society The Indians arrived form Asia by walking over the Bering Strait at least forty thousand years ago and, over a period of time, spreading and developing a wide range of cultures on both continents. These cultures ranged from nomadic groups of hunters and food gatherers to elaborate empires of the Aztecs and the Inca and the culturally advanced Mayan states. Latin American colonial society was shaped largely by the interaction of Spanish and Portugese invaders while

Medieval IslamMedieval Islam . Islam is a religion that is complete. It has a rich culture and without any interference or flexibility in its basis it has turned out to be a complex, and dynamic steady in the world. Yet, the least is known about it in the West. It rose dramatically to popularity in the seventh century A. D. and from that time to present it has covered a large part of the world culture with its influence and managed to incorporate many languages and cultures within its midst. Islamic history b

To what extent was Alexander II a Tsar liberatorTo what extent was Alexander II a Tsar liberator? Alexander II did introduce a number of reforms, which were quite revolutionary for that period of time. Many historians therefore believe that Alexander II deserves the title ‘Tsar Liberator’. Views of Alexander II do, however, differ to a great extent, When regarding Alexander II Saunders says “his enthusiasm for change lasted a mere four years, it may be that his reputation as the ‘Tsar liberator’ is ill deserved“ 1this strongly suggests that A

United States and JapanUnited States and Japan In East Asia and in Europe, twentieth-century history unfolded the same way: the uneven distribution of technology, which leads to violent consequences, and uneven development after both world wars. In both regions, a large, tradition bound, nationalistic state with a long history of international control, which lagged in incorporating the practices and teachings of the French and the industrial revolutions (Russia and China), suffered an assault by an upstart nation-stat

United States Intervention in BoliviaUnited States Intervention in Bolivia Thirty years ago, on October 8, 1967, gunfire echoed through a steep ravine of the Andes Mountains in southern Bolivia. The guerrilla band led by Ernesto Che Guevara – a chief lieutenant in the Sierra Maestra, author of a book on guerilla tactics, one-time president of Cuba’s National Bank and later Minister of Industries under Castro, and who renounced his Cuban citizenship and set off to devote his services to the revolutionary cause in other lands – was p

Violence is as American as Cherry PieViolence is as American as Cherry Pie Violence can be found in every facet of contemporary society, from the movies and television’s evening news to school violence. An act of violence can be as small as a threat, but nevertheless it is one of the most common aspects of life. Violence has existed as long as people have been on Earth. The first acts of violence were hunting. Hunting provided a food source before people learned how to cultivate the land. The focus of violence shifted from hunting

SOSSOS Hi everyone is this thing on? yeah well um i'm here to talk to you about empowerment don't worry i'm not going to stay up here and be like hey it's all in the way you think and if you see the prize with your eyes you can have, that's not all i'm here to say it's half of it but not all of it what i'm here to say is to empower you people to say your not only one person but a human being if your not following me right now it's okay you eventually will my name is Favio Garcia and at 15 i've lear

One Raindrop Rasies The Sea One Raindrop Rasies The Sea My outside reading book was Nimitz Class and this is a book that can be easily identified with as it has many features that are appearent to everyday lives. These things that make it easily identifiable are the multitude of character's different personalities, the numerous situations, and the varying levels of relationships these characters have with each other. Each man is created equal or somthing like that was said way back then in 1776 and in Nimitz Class every m